OMG How do you guys do it????

[redbone0528 0]

I am pretty sure that I am dying right now! lol

As of tomorrow I am on day 7 of my pre-op liquid diet. Caved once on Wednesday, ate like my life depended on it, and I paid dearly for that. Felt disgusting and bloated, and woke up at 3am and threw it all up. Good times.

I just do not know how I am going to make it honestly. I do good most days, filling up on EAS Lite drinks (I work for Abbott Nutrition, which produces the EAS line, so I get them way cheap at the company store) and sugar free Jello. But I am a cook. Not quite a chef, but a serious cook. I watch the food Network most days, and as I type, I am watching Tyler florence recepies on AOL. Brick chicken with Apricot cous-cous, yummyyyyyyyy. Please tell me how you guys do it!??!?!?!!! I have been on this road since October of last year, and my final approval came thru last week for the procedure. I should find out my final surgery date tomorrow, I am soooo freakin close. But dayum it, I like to eat! And I LOVE to cook. It is my hobby, my passion. I appreciate food, and as a cook, food is an integral part of my life. How do I survive? I know that once I am banded things will get better, that I can eat things, if only in small portions. But right now, on this liquid diet, I feel like my spirit is dying. I know that sounds way dramatic, but dayum it, I mean it!!!! I am not sure quite what I am asking, maybe I am looking for encouragement. I know that you guys are great for that. I wanna know how the amature chefs among us move on? How do you continue to cook fabulous dishes and barely eat them? Crisis here, help!!!!!:thumbup:

[HeatherA 1]

You can still cook... you just won't eat as much of it as you used to. It's amazing the changes that you'll adjust to... and how easily they can come if you embrace the tool implanted inside. I'm doing things I never thought I'd ever ever ever do. I'm sure you will do awesome!

[rharriet62 0]

I am also an amateur chef and have loved cooking my entire life...baking, too! In fact, I am still known as "the chef" and everyone in my town and family still calls me for advice, recipes, etc. So, I can totally understand your question! Truthfully, I started cooking more healthfully and still prepare some old favs for my family. Tonight, for example, I made my "famous" bbq ribs. I used to eat lots of them with rice. Tonight, I had some rice and about 2 oz of ribs and was full. So, I still got to enjoy them, just in a fraction of the amount I would have eaten before. Truthfully, my problem remains with baking! I now make things my husband loves but I could take it or leave it NOW (I would have just eaten it before w/o really dying for it). Things like blueberry muffins and bread pudding and pumpkin bread are his favs and I can make those and not think twice about eating it. BUT, honestly, I don't bake Cookies every week like I used to. I do it only once in a great while because I would eat them all! HAHA. It's a rare treat for me now and honestly, it just doesn't have the hold and calling to you like it used to!!! That's the AMAZING part!!! you'll do it!!!

[KarenG. 0]

I woke up this morning really wanting to cook. I texted a friend and told her that she HAD to come over for dinner. I cooked a semi-elaborate meal and enjoyed a tiny portion. It was gratifying to be able to cook for my friend and I enjoyed it too. Don't worry - there are problems with the band but THIS is not one of them ! Things get easier once you have the surgery.

[redbone0528 0]

Honestly, that is what I am hoping. Most of the fun of cooking a fabulous dish is watching others enjoy it. Maybe it is just cause I am so hungry right now, that I am jealous of my pooch when he eats, rofl! I am sure that I will get over this, it is just the beginning. I am dedicated to my path, and I will do whatever I have to in order to walk it. I just needed to hear that I could still throw down in the kitchen, and thanks for telling me that. If I weren't able to do that, I honestly wouldn't know who I was anymore. Thanks ya'll!!!

[Angie4b1g 1]

Its such a short time of your life, the preop diet. I figured 2 weeks of that was worth the lifetime of happiness and health I was going to get by starting this process. I really had an ok time of it. The first 3 days, I thought I was going to die, but once I'd gotten all the carbs out of my body, the rest was a piece of cake!

[miss meliss 0]

I would think that during the liquid diet and only during the liquid diet that you should give up the cooking shows. What torture!! Maybe you can tape or Tevo your favorite shows. It is hard to watch those show on an empty stomach let alone an empty stomach with no hope of filling it soon! Stop the torture!!

[shortgal 5]

My husband likes to cook and he's really good at it. One of our favorite things to do (before being banded) was to cook a great meal, buy some wine and light a fire.

We really only missed that for a while, when I was in liquids stages etc. He's back to cooking again, but we modify some meals, no rice now and definitely no carmelized onion mashed potatoes for a while. But liking to cook can be a good thing, if you like to cook, you'll find healthier alternatives and healthy receipes. Some weight watchers cook books maybe? Or low carb ones?

Yesterday, he made the Barefoot contessa's Beef Bourginon ( sp?) receipe. I had a small portion for dinner and I had some leftovers for lunch today. Great way to get my Protein in.

Tonight we're having chicken. Small strips of white meat. They are lightly breaded with a mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. A sauce of sauteed onions in some butter, milk gets added and add a thawed well drained package of frozen chopped spinach. That mixture gets poured into the baking dish around the chix and baked. Very moist and many lapbanders can't eat dry chicken, so it's great for those people. I'll eat some tomorrow for lunch.< /p>

There are a few food network shows that concentrate on healthy eating. Ellie Kreiger ( i think that's her name) don't know the show name.

Some days I still have a hard time watching the food shows depends on the day and we don;t have too much wine lately either. We spend that money on Protein drinks instead! LOL.

[Kelgirl68 0]

Sure is funny how different doctors have you do different things. I belived I only had to do a pre-op diet for 2 days! It was 2 day of hell though! LOL

[Lori Ann 0]

Things will get much better for you...I promise. I love to cook, but I went through the angry stage, losing my best friend food. But you see I really didn't lose it....I adjusted the amount I ate of things. My entire life revolved around food, going out to eat, going with friends to eat, going with my family to eat, going to picnics to eat, going to parties to eat, cooking big dinners for people to come and eat, reading recipes all the time to think of new things to eat....eat, eat......I had to redirect my energies and start doing things that didn't revolve around eating....exercising, doing things around my house, reading, going places, shopping, etc. I absolutely love what the band has done for my life....I actually have a life now. I always wanted to be like that (have a normal life), but my life revolved too much around food......and man I was like a fish out of Water when the food was taken away...I though I was prepared, but honestly you don't know until you have been banded......but before the miracle happens there is a little pain that comes first from losing your friend. I would not have been able to do this without the band......it will put a stop to eating large portions....for sure! Sit back and enjoy the journey.

[Susie313 0]

Get a grip!! As a former chef, wife of a chef, mother of a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and member of a whole family of terrific cooks, get your priorities in order! If you keep doing the things you always did, you will keep looking and feeling like you always do. Now's the time to take care of your problem. With the band your whole mindset will change. But it will take a while. My journey began in November of 2006. It took at least 6 months before I was able to pass up the dishes that contributed to my 365 pound frame and not feel deprived. But I did it. I'm still doing it. To date I'm down 115 pounds and still have a ways to go, but I'll get there. Stick with it. You can do it too. Work with your band. It's a wonderful tool. And good luck to you!

[travelgirl 3]

BACK AWAY FROM THE TV! Turn it OFF or tune in to something other than FOOD!

I had to boycott the TV on my pre-op diet, because every commercial was about food! Even sitcoms drove me crazy, because it seemed like everyone was always eating something!

[shortgal 5]

It's kind of like when you're pregnant, you notice all pregnant women or you never notice a certain car until you buy a new one and then you see the same car everywhere.... just depends on what you're focused on.

Your focus will change and you'll start to notice on commercials what they wear instead or their make up or shoes. It just changes, you'll see.

And somedays are easier (better) than other days for me.

I was so busy yesterday cleaning out my closet, I didn't even think about eating and forgot to drink my mid morning bottle of Water.